Founder of Roots to Resilience asks Louisburg for partners, donations to place foster youth in high‑paying rotational jobs

During public comment, Trinity Mark, who identified herself as the founder of Roots to Resilience Foundation, urged the town to support a program to help people aging out of foster care by placing them in rotational, well‑paid employment combined with mentorship and life‑skills training. Mark said the foundation would place initial participants in rotational jobs on the North Slope of Alaska and later in cruise-line roles, calling those positions “structured, drug‑and‑alcohol‑free environments” that can provide a financial foundation for participants to return and reinvest in Louisburg.

Mark cited national foster‑care outcomes and local needs: she said roughly half of foster youth are not fully employed by age 24 and that the foundation’s goal is to place 30 people to change long‑term cost trajectories. “By placing 30 foster youth or people impacted by something similar we would rewrite the statistical trajectory,” she said. She described a combination of mentorship, career training, housing and employer partnerships and announced a fundraiser on August 14 to raise funds for initial placements planned for November through January.

Council members and attendees encouraged partnerships with schools, churches and local nonprofits, and suggested ways to help recruit employers and volunteers. A councilor recommended that local agencies and the education system connect to the foundation’s outreach so residents who could benefit are identified and referred. Mark requested donations, volunteers and employers willing to hire participants when they return.

The presentation drew offers of local assistance and a request that the town promote the fundraiser and explore collaborations with Interfaith Franklin County and other community organizations. The council did not take formal action on the presentation beyond public encouragement and offers to share information about community supports.